A True Compact?

[brit321]

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I would like to see a proper Leica compact, I have a D-Lux 3 and now having become aware of its problems, biggest being no viewfinder, and lots of noise at lower light levels, I was considering the purchase of a D-Lux 4 but the basic problems have not been solved, add on viewfinder which is not linked to lens movement and is very expensive, the same noisy engine, this is not a true quality compact which I suspect is what a lot of people would chose to purchase, I must admit I have re-visited my trusty CONTAX TVS digital, ok its got a tiny led screen, but a proper viewfinder, ok its only 5mp but resulting images are very sharp and colour balance is superb and most importantly it is Truly a tough quality COMPACT not a compact pretending to be a system camera to hide its problems, All the best Paul

[kalina]

I have a different opinion. I've owned many, many Canon PowerShots as well as little Casio and Sony compact cameras and I was never satisfied with the picture quality of any of them. The D-Lux 4 is truly a cut above all of these. I even prefer some of my D-Lux 4 pics over my M8 pics taken in the same light with the same scene.

 

All compacts are noisy. It's a fact of life.

[farnz]

... lots of noise at lower light levels ... the same noisy engine ...

Do you mean noise at higher ISO levels? The DL4 exhibits very little noise at ISO 80 and there is a marked improvement at ISO 200 and 400 over the DL3. Ultimately though it is a small sensor camera so at higher ISOs it is going to suffer from either noise or smearing of detail from noise reduction software as all small sensor cameras do.

 

... is not a true quality compact ...

Paul,

 

"True quality" is a subjective term but in my opinion the DL4 outclasses most of its competition with its 24 mm f/2 lens alone. Add to that a wide range of excellent in-camera black and white treatments and true HD video and high-resolution LCD screen and you have a superb compact camera.

 

I also would prefer a viewfinder that is linked to lens movement and focussing but I haven't found it to be an insurmountable hindrance. On occasion I resort to using a 21 mm Voigtlander external viewfinder which suits my needs and is considerably less expensive than the Leica one.

 

Pete.

[griffster]

I may be a total noob at this, but I don't think you'll get 'em much better than the D-Lux 4 atm. The only other choice would probably be the Canon G10.

 

With a little luck (and patience) you can wait for Leica to join the Micro Four Thirds standard. That'll give you a compact with interchangeable lenses.

[stevelap]

Thanks for taking up the suggestion Paul, you're more likely to gat a discussion going here.

[andybarton]

Leica have no interest at all in the 4/3 or u4/3 market.

 

Their M product manager told the forum personally on Friday.